


A matter of time

by cuaviaaceves1



Category: Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: Alternate Universe - Time Travel, Everything is a mess, F/M, I'm Sorry, Young and Old
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-04-15
Updated: 2017-10-27
Packaged: 2018-10-19 09:34:41
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 6
Words: 6,763
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10637142
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/cuaviaaceves1/pseuds/cuaviaaceves1
Summary: Changes just happen.Day by day you don't really notice them.But 12 years do mean a lot, and even more when everything just seems to be a chaos.Ladybug and Chat Noir are needed again, but not as they are, but as they were.And why not, with the help of their friends, and the people they love.





	1. The begining of the end.

**Author's Note:**

> Hey there! First fanfic... ever! And it just had to be for this beautiful fandom and show.  
> Enjoy...

It was a nice afternoon.  
Nothing odd. Nothing extraordinary.  
For other people. That is.  
‘Cause for the two friends that were waiting in a living room, looking at the city out of the window, today was the beginning of the end.  
A lot of planning had come to this. Lots of friends helped, lots of people had been lost, and wanted to be recovered.  
Papillon was gone, but there were still things to fix. People were different now.  
Some of the Akuma victims had reacquired some of their special abilities. But also some people had vanished. For instance, the Mayor of Paris, Chloe’s father… without him, there was chaos, until her daughter had taken control of the situation, in that bratty way only she could have done it. But it helped.  
Ladybug and Chat Noir also disappeared, but not in the way that the people thought.  
The miraculous holders were still there… just now without the miraculous. The last battle had taken a lot from them. And their kwamis had to pay the price for peace.  
If you could call this peace.  
There were still some Akuma on the loose, on their butterfly forms.  
To respond to that, the Mayor’s daughter decided to form a task force to end the problem, and together formed a plan. This plan.  
The group was small, almost all the ones that once were classmates and friends. Those who remained. 

“How do you think they’ll react?” One of the young women asked the other. The stance where they were was illuminated with the last traces of light that the sun gave. The walls, clean and empty, reflected an orange tone that accompanied both women.  
A closed door separated them from the task at hand. And a complete living room separated them from each other.  
The one closest to the door watched her friend, who was over the window, waiting for a response.

“I don’t know.” Answered the other one, not looking behind her. “We planned it perfectly. There was nothing else we could do to make it better for them” Still watching over the city’s landscape, the short haired woman, prepared herself to see that young girl. That girl who shared her big blue eyes, those ones that once were full of hope and wonder. That sparkle that may have died with everything that had happened.

“I know. I was there when we talked about it, remember?” The other one kept going. “I’m just saying that I would freak out if I saw myself 12 years in the future” The woman, a lot bigger and fresher woman. Still with an energy that only she could give. Trying to discover all the secrets of the universe. Or at this moment, on her friend.  
“Wouldn’t you?”

“Yeah… that’s why I’m not going to see myself first” Marinette turned around for the first time in a while, to look intently at her friend with a smile on her face and tensed shoulders.

“Fair enough” Alya smiled back, still resting on the kitchen stool and with her arms crossed. “Anyway. I’m going to my position. Wouldn’t want to be late. After all, not all of us have our missions at two minutes of here” And with that, she headed to the exit door with her hand extended to the ceiling, as a goodbye.

“Right. See you soon. And good luck” 

“With you as a friend, who would need that?” After that, Alya closed the door of the apartment she shared with her 3 friends and left Marinette with her thoughts. 

__________________________________________________________

Another Akuma attack, really not that tough. A boy who had a fight with a friend over a simple description of a movie scene… really, Ladybug and Chat Noir didn’t want to know the details. A dull and slow Akuma, a late night and some homework to do. A normal day. Nothing more, nothing less. Or so they thought.  
Not far behind them, on the street, there were a couple of teenagers wondering about, following them. How else would the Lady blog be the first and most reliable source of info on the superheroes matters? That’s what Alya told herself, and Nino. 

“We are too close Alya. This is dangerous” The boy tried to resonate with her.

“What are you talking about? This hardly the most dangerous Akuma in months, and I can’t see a thing. So we’re moving on!” And after that, she charged forward on the street and adjusted her phone on her hands for a better angle.

And just before Nino could reach her, a pot crashed between them, scaring them both, making the scream. (No one could pay Nino enough for him to admit that his scream was far more girly that is should be) And that called the attention of one of the Parisian heroes.

Chat Noir dropped beside them and looked at the as if he was about to scold them. But caught himself before anything escaped his mouth and breathed more calmly before actually talking.

“This is a dangerous area. We, Ladybug and I, know everything you both do for Paris and are very grateful, but please, go home and be safe”

“Yeah right…” Nino shouldn’t have said that out loud. That earned him a cold look from his girlfriend and a scoff from the cat hero.

And just before any of them could react, Ladybug crashed just beside them against a parked car. Recovering as fast as she always did, before charging back, she noticed her 3 friends. 

“Why are you two still here?” Alarm evident in her face.

“That’s exactly what I was getting at. My Lady…” Chat intersected, with a small smile.

“Not now Chat.”

“Eh, guys… what is that?” Alya really loved to have to opportunity to be so close to the superheroes, but after watching behind of them just for a second. She noticed something really weird.  
There was a big mass of black dust, closing in on them. And it did not look nice.

“Step aside!” And with that Ladybug pushed the other three away. But not being fast enough she got caught in the swirl of energy and banished.

“Ladybug!” The other teenagers scream in unison and without think extending their hands towards the spot where she once was.


	2. Old buddies

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The first to arrive. But not the only one.

There was no way that the headache that he had was going away soon.  
Looking around, he really wished that there were more light, but thinking about it, more light would hurt a lot more. Why on earth was he on a rooftop? It made no sense. He was on the street, chasing Alya, who was chasing an Akuma…  
The Akuma… and Ladybug disappeared. 

“ You recover fast” A steady voice talked from the night sky. Or maybe not the sky. Just above him. He was still laying on a rooftop, not knowing what had happened. “You have always recovered fast”

“Where am I?”

“That’s not exactly what should worry you. You are still in Paris, just so you feel better” That voice kept talking with a hint of a smile and a shooting effect. So familiar.

“Who are you?” Nino tried his best to sit up but failed miserably. Until a hand took his forearm and lift him from the ground to a sitting position and letting himself be seen after taking a seat beside him.

“A friend” And a friend it was. Just… not quite. 

“A… A...Adrien?” Nino could see it. His friend, with his expressive green eyes, his perfect nose, and his bright smile. But this Adrien was not the one that lent him a pencil last history class or said goodbye to him and Alya just that same day after school.

“Well. Yes and no.” Said this Adrien. This Adrien with shorter hair, taller, much more mature features and a spark that only means more experience. This Adrien that seemed to know something that he didn’t.

“What happened?”

“This must seem very weird for you.” Adrien kept looking at him, trying to see through his foggy eyes what was the thinking. He did not know what to think.

“That’s an understatement” To that, he laughed, it helped to ground him. At least they weren't in danger… or not an immediate one.

“Right. Let me explain some stuff” He broke eye contact, moving her head to look at the city. “You are in Paris, as I said, but twelve years have passed” 

“Twelve!” Yeah… he hit his head really badly. “I’ve been in a comma or something? For twelve years!?” He really was freaking out. He tried to look at himself, maybe he was older… but no. He still wore the exact same clothes he had. His hands looked the same. Touching his face, it felt the same.

“No, no… I shouldn’t have started like that…” He looked back at him, apologetically. “A lot has happened. And we needed to bring to this time the Ladybug of your time. But the best time for this to happen, was when you were all with her.” Adrien tried to calm his friend dropping all the information he had at once. Really not the best way.

“Time travel!?” Nino freaked out even more. “You’re talking about time travel” That wasn’t a question. 

“Sorta.” Adrien shrugged like it was nothing. Nothing! 

“Wait, wait” Nino gestured with his hand over his own face to clear his head. “You said that you need the Ladybug from our time! Isn’t it there a Ladybug here?” To that Adrien didn’t respond well. He seemed to curl on himself.

“It’s complicated. And there is a lot more you need to know” Adrien stud up and looked again to the city. “For instance, there is no longer a Papillon. But there were consequences to all that.” 

“You sound like there is something you are not telling me. How are you involved in all of this?” Nino stood up as well and walked closer to his friend. It was weird looking up at him. He was not taller than him before.

“Let’s talk on our way to the others. Okay? There are things that you all have to hear together.” And with that, the young man started walking to the edge of the roof.

“What are you doing?” A bolt of energy passed him and in a scared reaction he reached for his friend’s arm.

“Relax. I was only checking if our ride was already here” Adrien smiled to his friend and turned around again to the street below them. 

“What are you talking about?” Nino still didn’t understand a thing. “And who is all of us?” Did Ladybug and Chat Noir also got through? And where were they?

“Ah. Just in time” He didn’t seem scared of the height on which they were standing. Perhaps his hiking wall on his room did help.

“Let's go!” Adrien jumped over the edge of the roof. JUMPED. Nino was not expecting that. Not in a million years. And his day was already weird enough. 

“Adrien!” After looking over the edge, he could see his friend standing in a fire escape.

“What?” Adrien did not seem like this was anything to talk about. Not weird at all. “Come on, they are waiting for us.” That’s it. That’s all he said, before turning around and continuing going down.

“Who?! Who is waiting for us, man?” Nino really did not want to cross the edge of the rooftop… but his friend, the only known thing in all this mess, was leaving. So he jumped, just like the man ahead of him, and started descending the side of the building, a lot more carefully that Adrien, thank you very much.

When he reached the street, there was a big black car. And Adrien was holding the back door open for him. 

“ I’m serious. The girls are waiting” He had no other choice. For some reason, he knew that if he started running, Adrien would catch up easily, even before he was very fit for his age, but now... And it wasn’t like he didn’t trust his friend. It just was too much. 

“Okay, okay.” He lifted his hand in surrender and entered the car, followed by Adrien.

“Hey boys” A female voice greeted them on the front.

“Alya?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Second chapter... Thoughts?


	3. Trust yourself

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> There are more meetings.  
> And who else would you believe if not yourself.

It felt cold… She did not need a jacket a few seconds ago. Her mind felt like running a mile per hour, and yet so still that she couldn’t think straight.  
Suddenly a bright light called her attention. She was not alone.

Seated beside her; yes, she was seated on a bench… why? was a tall, broad woman, with a smile on her face and her gaze fixed on her own phone. She looked familiar… like an aunt, or some kind of relative. And soon after this woman spoke. So familiar, yet new.

“So… you just make me lose a bet.” She said not looking away from the little screen on her hand.

“Excuse me?” Alya didn’t know what else to say. And it was in that moment that the dark-skinned woman looked directly at her. With that look. That look she knew so well. That look that she saw every morning before leaving for school.

“I was so sure that we would have woke up before Nino”

“Nino?” Alya was not on her brightest moment. “...We?” That’s it. That’s all she could muster. She, the one that loved to talk, to know more, to learn and explore, was afraid to ask. And to that, this… this other Alya, laughed.

“Yes, we.” She answered after catching her breath. “You see. I thought that the person much more likely for you to believe would be, yourself”

This woman was crazy. And yet, it made sense. 

“And before I keep going,” said this bizarre version of herself. “Tell me. What do you know?”

“What do I know?” Alya was shocked. Shocked. How could she know anything at all? She didn’t even recognize where she was sitting. “I think you are the one that has to explain yourself”

Another laugh of her interlocutor. “Yeah, you are right.” A pause. “But that’s not what I mean… I want to know. How much do you know about Chat Noir and Ladybug?”

“La… Lady… Ladybug? What about her?” Alya suddenly felt quite nervous. If this apparent Alya wanted to know, something that they both were supposed to know, then I didn’t add up.

“I know what you’re thinking. This isn’t about me finding out more about her. It’s about me not telling you something you aren’t supposed to know because of me spilling something out by accident.” That added up a little bit. “There are some secrets that aren’t mine to share.”

“Oh…” That’s it? ‘Oh,’ What’s the matter with you Alya? Control yourself. “I mean… yeah, that sound about right” About right? Okay, moving on. “Well. I know that she could be around our… my… age.”

“Rude.”

“Sorry.” Alya took a breath and looked around for comfort. Trying to not look at the face of the woman beside her. “I know that she has a timer, that means she is about to detransform.” She dared to take a look to the future Alya, who seemed half occupied with her phone. Didn’t realize how annoying that was.

“Just checking the pickup point for the boys”

“What? Boys? Which boys?”

“The Nino of your time and the Adrien of mine. By the way, I think I know the kind of things I can’t tell you yet.” The older version of herself then looked directly at her eyes. Pretty weird feeling. “What I can tell you is that here Hawkmoth isn’t any longer a threat. But there were consequences of the Last battle, as we oh so very brightly call it. Nino’s idea.” She did not seem thrilled by that. “And we need the help of the Ladybug of your time to fix that. But well… all three of you had to come along, ‘cause. One, you need to prepare her and yourselves for what’s coming. Two, Alix couldn’t pinpoint a time and place to pull her out without you. And three we really wanted to see how all this went down.”

“Waw, good to see that I never lose my honesty” Alya was unimpressed by the last comments. But excited for the opportunity to help Ladybug on a mission. 

“Ah… that’s debatable, but that’s a story for another time.”

“Wait. You mentioned Alix. So it’s not only Adrien, Nino and you. Who else is in on this? Is Marinette with us?” Alya started looking around, trying to look for her friend, even if it felt absurd. She hadn’t approached them in all the while that they were talking.

“We are a few, most of the ones that were in the same class.” The woman beside her made an uncomfortable gesture and caressed her hair before continuing. “Weird things have happened. Things that have yet to make sense. Like, some people has disappeared, mostly adults. And that inflicted a lot of fear. Even if it was just a one-time thing, you have that feeling that ‘you could be the next’. You know what I’m saying?”

“I can imagine.” What else could she say.

“Oh, but that was not all. The next day, many of us noticed that the one that was once affected by an Akuma acquired some of the abilities that they had.” Alya scratched her neck and kept talking. “Some of this caused more havoc that not, but the major problem… is that Ladybug and Chat Noir were nowhere to be found. They had lost their powers. Or so they thought.” That young woman checked her cellphone that had chimed, and stood up from where she was seated.

“And I’ll tell you more about this on our way to the others” 

And with that both girls walked side by side, puzzled for the expression on the other one. Trying their best to get used to what was happening. They went over a big black sedan that looked like some kind of private service kind of ride. It was pretty cool.

“I borrowed for the Agreste collection. Neat right?”

“That’s an understatement” 

After that, they both laughed and got in the car, starting a new adventure, after all, who else could be more up for something that Alya Cesaire.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm so sorry guys, not been very active latley.  
> Lots of school workload.  
> And also, I have this weird feeling that there are some kind of things missing from the narrative of this...  
> I have the intention of making this into a fancomic as well... so maybe this has something to do with this.  
> Anyway... see you next chapter.


	4. Someone who you know, or knew.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Old habits, new tricks. And a lot of unraveled secrets.

Chat Noir was out of himself. How on earth could he have lost his lady? He had promised himself that nothing would happen to her. And yet, here he was, laying on the ground, who knows where without being able to help her.

Those were the thoughts that plagued his mind when a soft laugh reached his ears.

“Tired, ma petite?” With that, he opened his eyes to see the starry sky. 

“Ladybug?” She did not call him that… but It sounded so familiar. He could only hope. Hope that his luck wasn’t so bad and she was okay.

“You could say that” And a beautiful pair of bluebell eyes behind some kind of mask looked back at him from above. “A lot has happened Chat Noir”

“Care to explain?” Chat got up from the ground and sat facing the woman, yes woman, in front of him. It was so unsettling. It was his Lady… just not quite. Definitely older, and colder, in a way.

“You are not in your… ‘time’.” Said this Ladybug, this beautiful, dangerous and imposing Ladybug, not that the one that he knew wasn’t all that. Just, the sweetness and softness prevailed over all those things. And in front of him was the result of all that took those things from her. “A lot has happened and we here need the help of our former heroes. You and Ladybug.”

“But, what happened to you?”

“To the both of us. We lose our kwamis. We absorbed them, so we could liberate the world from Hawkmoth. But that came with a price. And the world now doesn’t have the forces of destruction and creation to balance each other” She laughed at that, lacking the normal energy she always carried. “We have lost so much, and at the same time, we found each other and our friends. But we need the power of Ladybug, the Ladybug that you know and love. The one with hope, power, and forgiveness in her heart” She reached to cup his face, and he couldn’t move. “That’s why you are here. To help us, but most of all, to help her.”

“Am I… am I… dead? In your time” Chat’s throat closed with angst.

“What? Why would you think that?” Ladybug smiled tilting her head to the side and laying her other hand over Chat’s shoulder.

“Then why am I not helping you? You seem so… so lonely.”

“Oh… oh, Chaton…” Ladybug crumbled a little and hugged him. An embrace in so much need of care, and he hugged her back, with all the love he could muster. “You are here, you are always there for me. In fact, our friends are waiting for us. Because we have a lot to fight for, and many who are disposed to do it with us.” Letting go slightly, and looking down to see him in the eye. When did she grow so much? Had he grown up as well?

“What do you say we head home?” She dropped one hand to her side and stepped away from him.

“Home?” He missed her touch, she felt like home already.

“Well… the home you will have for the next few days. Where we will meet the others and us, the ones from this time will prepare you for what is coming so that you can go back to yours.”

“And what is coming?” 

“It’s better if you wait till all of you are gathered. Ladybug, Nino, and Alya from your time are waiting. Could I get a ride with the famous Chat Noir?” She smiled jokingly, gesturing to the city. 

“Just point the way. My Lady.” Turning around. He was so happy that didn’t notice the tight smile of the woman climbing into his back and signaling him to the particular close roof where was the meeting point, and the flat where they were staying.

“Apparently both Alyas, young Nino and you are already on their way.” She said matter of factly as if it was not weird saying that kind of things. While pointing to a big black car, that seemed from some kind of old gangster movies. “Follow them, it will be easier than me explaining the turns and downs of the rooftops.”

By the time they stopped and landed on the street in front of a big door to an even bigger building near the center of the city. That wasn’t there before. Both Alyas had already gone inside, and his friend Nino was waiting by the car aside from him on the older version… but him… HIM. As in Adrien him. As in not the superhero him. Shocked? Maybe. Scared? Certainly. Ladybug said that Adrien was him… so that meant that she knew who he was. Did he know who she was in this time? 

“Chat Noir.” Said the older man looking him up and down. “Everything all right?” Asked, now looking to Ladybug, worry in his eyes. They cared for each other. That was obvious.

“All in order” Ladybug smiled, tightly again.

“Ladybug? The Ladybug?” That was Nino. Nothing subtle about him. But it earned a laugh from the woman.

“You could say that” That was her answer. The same answer.

“Why do you say it like that?” Chat Noir was now scared to hear the answer, but he had to know. What on earth had happened. But in that instant someone interrupted.

“Boss!!” A big man, arrived running from the corner of the street. He appeared to be carrying something in his back bigger than him and appeared to be in a hurry. 

“What is it, Kim?” Kim… Kim? The Kim he knew? Their friend Kim. Yes that Kim, Chat realized once the man was closer. 

“I know what we were doing today. With Alix being the one to do it and so. And that is very important. But there has been a sighting near the Seine” This man, Kim, was catching his breath while looking directly to Ladybug. And in the meantime, he gave Chat and Nino to appreciate what he was carrying. He wasn’t. That big mass over his shoulders was a pair of wings, closed to his back.

“What? Now? Has Mylène already confirmed it?” Ladybug seemed worried and looked back at the three of them that were still over the car waiting.

“Yes. She is on her way now” Kim straightened up and towered over every one of them. “ And others too.” This was directed to Adrien, who seemed to be ill-mooded all of a sudden. Chat could tell why. Ladybug was going on her own.

Adrien gave Kim a short nod and turned to Ladybug. “We’ll take care of this. Nino will arrive any minute now with the little Lady” And with that, he stepped over the woman in front of him and looked her straight in the eyes. “Be careful” 

“You too. We need to do this carefully, remember that.” They seemed to want to say something more. But held back and stepped aside. Ladybug walking to Kim giving him her hand. And he took it and jumped high over the ground to open his wings faster that something that big should be able to, and flew away with Ladybug hanging effortlessly, with a fixed face and a dark look. Leaving Chat Noir with himself and his best friend. Without being able to actually talk with any of them. Just because he had to protect his mask and secret identity.


	5. Things change and stay the same

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Friends and family are supposed to be familiar and normal. You see them, and the world seems a little better.  
> Brighter. You are not alone. You can feel well and relaxed.  
> Our hero needed that.

Ladybug was supposed to be stronger than that. She was supposed to protect her friends, her city. And yet here she was, waking up in an abandoned warehouse, with little to no light, and with a headache bigger than ever before. At least she still had her costume. And feeling the power of her miraculous still with her comforted her in a way.

“Ladybug, can you hear me?” It sounded far away. A voice calling to her. 

“I’m here!” While she was standing up she heard some heavy steps and recognized a far to ragged hat over some glasses. “Nino?”

“That’s right! I was sent to help you out” He kept walking towards her, with his hands to the front, as if she was some kind of feral animal. 

“I’m not going to hurt you, you know?” Ladybug half smiled at the antics of her friend. “And who is this that send you? You don’t look like yourself” She was standing in the center of some kind of wide room, with big windows. Outside looked like it was nighttime, and the city wasn’t as noisy as always. 

“Well, I’m not going to hurt you either, and well, let’s just say that you are not entirely home.” With that the tall man lowered his hands, and put off his cap, to reveal a longer hair, a tired gaze, and a hopeful expression. “We need Ladybug. We need you. And I was sent by the Ladybug and Chat Noir of my time. They knew that if any of them you wouldn’t be as easily calmed down. Or that if Alya came, you would pull your walls up. ” 

“Why are Alya and you involved in something that Chat Noir and I are doing?” The Ladybug standing in front of her friend said. Her friend, who she didn’t know if she was able to protect. And who else was calling herself Ladybug? He seemed older, but she was trying very hard not to think of time travel, there should be another kind of explanation to this mess. “What happened?”

“I know you don’t want to hear me say this. But yes, we are talking about time traveling” Nino stepped warily towards her. 

“How did you…?”   
“You told me” Nino explained himself before she could ask the reason of why did he know her fears. “You from my time warned me, warned me that you had experienced something with time travel before and that you did not like it. But neither of us remember that… so… yeah.” A small laugh escaped both of their mouths and Ladybug looked around.

“I see. Well… fill me in. What has happened? Is this some kind of Akuma” Gassing over her shoulder while walking to the window she had nearer, Ladybug watch Nino put his cap again over his head.

“No. Not really. Alix did the time traveling thing.”

“What?” Ladybug stopped in her tracks and turned completely around to look at the man standing there, cringing for his slip up.

“Sorry, I should start from the beginning. Hawkmoth has been defeated. But you and Chat Noir had to pay a price to do so. And there were some side effects. For example, some of the ones that were akumatized before regained some of their abilities, like Alix. But are in complete control of themselves. Don’t worry. But you and Ad… and Chat, lost your miraculous, you somehow absorbed them.”

“We are no longer superheroes?” 

“Oh, no. You are very much superheroes. There still some kind of magic from Hawkmoth luring the streets of Paris, and you two, with the help of others, like me and Alya, capture it and keep it in a secure place.”

“And then, what do you do with it?” 

“Till now, nothing. But with you here, you can use that energy to use your Miraculous cure and fix everything once more.” 

“I see… Ladybug can’t do it without her transformation. That’s why you need me. Me with a miraculous.” Ladybug said those few words in a pensive manner, trying to assimilate everything at once.

“Something like that. Yeah.” Nino took some steps closer to her and shrugged his shoulders attempting to ease his way through her.

“So, when do we start. Where do I have to go?” She had to do something, fast. Act like the hero she was supposed to be.

“Oh, first we need to meet with the others. You said so yourself. You four, or is it us four? Need to train before anything else” Nino smiled while taking his hands to his hips, in a very heroic and exaggerated way.

“What? Who else came?” That didn’t sound right.

“Well. You, Chat Noir, Alya and me. As teenagers, of course.” He made a pause, trying to see her reaction. “Because us four in our twenties are here too, but we know what we are up against. You haven’t seen this. And you can’t face it while transformed, cause it will cause the same reaction that made the Ladybug and Chat of our time lose their powers.” Nino kept talking while rounding her in the big room they were in.

“I thought that you already had captured this… thing” Ladybug trayed very hard not to follow him while talking and walking over the room.

“Not all of it, and not nearly enough for the cure to work. You’re still working on that one, whit the help of other classmates that we had.” 

“We?” She did stop at that. And he cringed for his second slip-up of the night. 

“Alya’s going to kill me” Nino took a deep breath and turned around slowly to his friend. “Yes. Marinette, our classmates. We know who you are. And Chat.” Nino stood there waiting for something to happen. For her to scream, or cry, or do anything. But all that he saw was the superhero that he came to admire as a teenager, and the friend he learned to defend with all he could offer, stare at him with a blank expression. 

“I see.” At least she spoke to him. “Does all of Paris know who I am?” 

“No.” That seemed to help her focus her eyes. “No, they don’t. Just a few of us know. Because we are there to help you. We all use disguises to come out and help. Actually, you designed all of them, they are pretty cool.” To that he laughed, a short one, but a laugh. And she smiled a little bit. That was enough.

“Very well. I think I need to talk with Chat. The one of my time.” Ladybug seemed resolute about this, direction and leadership were her specialties after all.

“Sure thing. He must be on his way to the randevu point right now.” Nino started walking to an edge of the building, that after a few seconds Ladybug realized was the exit to the street.

“And how are we getting there?” She didn’t think she was strong enough at this moment to carry him and herself over the streets of Paris.

“I brought my bike,” Nino said over his shoulder while he stopped in front of a big blue-navy colored motorcycle, pulling a red helmet and a gray jacket towards her.   
“put this on. Don’t want to catch that much attention, do we?” 

“Nice ride.” She noticed the slightly forced smile on her friends’ face and did her best to sound casual. They both could pretend that this was some kind of normal.

“Thanks. I bought it when Alya and I were still chasing the two of you for an interview between akumas and patrol” Nino smiled brighter this time and put on his own blue helmet over his head.

They both stayed quiet for almost all the ride over the city. Talking over the wind when she had a question about a store or monument that was supposed to be on their way. A lot had changed, and still, a lot stayed the same.   
Life still seemed to be of most importance in the city of lights. Paris was still protected, now for a group of young people that thought they could make a difference. And who knew, maybe they could. They just need the right tools and a little bit of luck on their side. And that’s what she was. Lady Luck. Ladybug.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Been a while.   
> Here is the last of the introductory chapters.   
> From now on we have the interaction with the past and the future versions. Along with training, scary situations, big reveals (again) and a lot of screams... I think.
> 
> What do you think? What do you suggest? Have any funny stories that could our young heroes hear from their older counterparts? Share with us in the comments, or hit me up on my Tumblr.


	6. We didn't fail

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> They need to talk.

After a short ride, mostly in silence. The four of them arrived at an entrance of a small building, with a few lights on and open windows. The pulled over and started heading out of the car one by one. The two youngest the moment they could, walked side by side. And waited for the other two over the sidewalk.

”I know that we said that this was going to be… fast” Alya said. The Alya with a ponytail and no glasses. The Alya twelve years older than the other.

“No, we didn’t” Intervened Adrien. The Adrien that seemed more relaxed than the one they remembered. The Adrien that appeared to be the one with more experience than any other in the street. “We didn’t say that. And get used to the idea that a lot of work is coming in the next few weeks”

“Weeks?!” Screamed Nino. Nino, her Nino. The one that was chasing their favorites superheroes with her a few hours ago. “What are we supposed to do in a few WEEKS!?” He seemed really freaked out. Is it was for seeing his friend in a state where he seemed less soft and more in control. Or the fact that two girls looking a lot alike were looking at him like they wanted to tell something, but didn’t know what.

Before anyone could respond a loud noise called their attention.

“Coming down!” They knew that voice. It was Chat Noir, the one of their time. Still with his big smirk, a wary look in his eyes, a straight back and a woman with him.

“Glad you two made it on time,” The older Alya said, mostly to the newly arrived woman. “ We seem to be having problems explaining what the plan for the next weeks are”

“I see. There’s really not much but to keep at it. Right?” This new woman, with a mask and tight clothes, seemed to move with elegance and power, and yet appeared to ask permission from her time-mates to look them in the eyes. 

“What have you been doing?” Chat Noir decided that was the right time to speak, walking nearer his friends and looking wearingly to the older Adrien.

“Looking, finding and collecting whatever of Hawkmoth energy is left in the city. Accumulating it for later on using it with a Miraculous cure” Adrien provided, with a tight smile. “That’s basically it.” 

The two women agreed to it by a short nod of their heads. And after that two things happened. Two sounds approaching. One, a motor of a bike arriving from a side of the street. The other a powerful sound, like the one of flapping of wings, big wings.  
At mostly the same time the youngest ones turned to look at an older Nino helping with her helmet to a really stressed Ladybug. Chat Noir immediately bolted from where he was standing and headed straight to her. Asking her questions and looking all over the place. Making her smile and try to calm him down.  
But over the other side a big young man, with a straight face and some huge wings arrived like it was the most normal thing in the world.

“Ladybug! Empathy already found another spike of energy” The big man nodded towards the other people around them but mostly focused on the masked woman.

“Ladybug? You are Ladybug?!” Alya couldn’t resist the need to ask. This woman, this mysterious woman, was Ladybug. A Ladybug without her miraculous, but that still did the right thing for the city.

“You bet she is!” This big winged man responded with a grin on his face. But immediately returned to his serious tone when he turned again to the woman that went by Ladybug. Whose face turned to Adrien, then to Alya, then to Nino and lastly to Chat Noir and herself as teenagers.

“I know there’s a lot I’m supposed to tell you four. But right now I need to go. And you need to work some stuff out between yourselves first” She took a deep breath and turned again to Adrien. “I won't take long, but you need to be here right now.”

And with that, she turned to the big winged man and they both left flying to the dark night sky. 

“Maaaan, I think I’ll never get used to seeing Kim with those wings” Older Nino hadn’t loosened that touch, of simple and friendly vibe he always carried with him.

“Tell me about it, I think he is the one that got the best and worst deal of all of us” The older Alya interjected with a big sigh and a last glance to the sky. “He is the only one that can’t have a normal life outside of being a hero.”

“What do you mean? That was Kim?” Chat Noir stepped closer to the rest of the people around them, still not letting go of the shoulder he had been holding, the shoulder of the only one that understood him, his Lady, the one in who could relay, cause at the end of the day he couldn’t say that he knew Nino, his best friend, nor Alya. 

“She means that there are more people that can help now, but that takes its toll. That day, many people lost their friends, family, homes, or even their free lives, being aggravated by powers that they thought they would never get back because Hawkmoth was supposed to be defeated.”

Chat Noir saw in the eyes of this man, those green eyes, just like his, that told him all he had to close off and told him all that he regretted what had happened. “But we… we…” 

“Failed.” That sentence was finished by Ladybug, his young and beautiful Ladybug, the one that seemed concerned with the idea that what they had done wasn’t good enough.

“Never say that!” To their surprise, it was Alya talking, the older Alya, the one that seemed to know much more than she lead on. And perhaps she did. “You two were our heroes, ARE our heroes, and everything that is happening is no one fault, and it can be fixed” 

“But it is someone's fault.” Adrien stepped in. “Hawkmoths fault. And we’re supposed to do something about it. But we can’t do it here. So please, can we get inside?” Moving his arms in a big floury circle, he encouraged the rest of the group to follow him inside the building.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the late and short chapter, I'll try my best to speed up work over here.
> 
> Also, hope you don't feel like I'm dragging things off, or something. Just trying to give these pour children the space they need to come up with a good reveal, after all, that's supposed to be next.
> 
> Aaaaanyhow, see you soon in the next chapter update and come talk to me if you'll like on Tumblr. Eather my art blog @cuaviaaceves1 or my fan blog @kuabia

**Author's Note:**

> So... yeah. That's it for now folks. Hope you liked it. And of course, if you have any comment or something like that, be my guest. :)  
> 


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